Method and apparatus foe vulcanizing tires



I w. c. GEERL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VULCAN-IZING TIRES.

APPLICATION FILED MJG.3I, 1921. 4 1,433,683. Patented 0012.31, 1922.

[Ill 6171 0)" MY/iam CI Geer 13y ?W@ A 1 Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM c. GEEK, or AKRON, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODBICH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING TIRES.

Application filed August 31, 1921.

T0 al whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, \VILLIAM G. Gnna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of bummit and btate of Uhio, have invented a certain new and useful Method and Apparatus for Vulcanizing Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of vulcanizing tires and more particularly solid or cushion tires having a thick body of rubber composition fastened to a metal base by a layer of hard-rubber. v

In methods and apparatus heretofore used, the heat has been applied to the tire principally from its outer periphery and an inferior product frequently has resulted from insufficient vulcanizing of the inner region of the tire and particularly the base portion, of hard-rubber compound, which should be subjected at least to as great, and preferably to a greater, amount 01 vulcanization than the soft-rubber compound composing the main body of the tire.

My object is to provide a method and apparatus whereby the hard-rubber compound composing that part of the tire lyingunext to the metal base conveniently may be subjected to an amount of vulcanization as great as or greater than that of the main body and tread portions of the tire, and an improved product thus obtained. A further object is to insure thorough vulcanization of the interior of the tire.

()f the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vertical vulcanizing press embodying and adapted to carry out my invention, a part of the apparatus being shown diagrammatically, and a part being broken away to show a stack of tire molds within the press.

Fig. 2 is section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1..

Fig. 3 an enlarged transverse sectional view of a solid tire and a mold enclosing the same.

Referring to the drawings, 10, 10 are twopart tire-molds of the usual construction, each enclosing, as shown clearly in 3, a solid tire 11 upon a metal base 12. 13 is the layer of the hard-ruhber compound which is used to secure adhesion between the metal base 12 and the body of the tire ll. 14 is the usual wedging ring for holding the Serial No. 497,080.

base 12 in exact position and preventing distortion thereof when the mold is closed.

For curing the tires I preferably use a vertical vulcanizing press 15, having arain- ".1 liuder 16, a water inlet and outlet pipe ...i 3 therefor and a vcrticallv movable piston 17 carrying a. lower plateii 18, upon which latter the tire-containing molds 10 are stacked as shown in liig. l. 1.9 is a removable cover constituting an upper platen, detachably secured to a collar 20 at the top of the press. The lower platen 18 and the upper platen 19 are formed on their moldcontacting faces with radial grooves or flutes 18*, 18 and 19, 19, respectively, said grooves being adapted to afford restricted communication between the inner chamber 21 formed by thestack molds l0 and the annular outer chamber 22 between the stack of molds 10 and the walls of the vulcanizer.

A steam supply pipe 23 is provided, having branches 24, adapted to inject steam into the outer chamber 22, preferably near the top thereof, through inlet apertures 26, 27. respectively, (Fig.2), the latter preferably being positioned diametrically opposite each other, and entering the chamber obliquely, as shown, in order to inject the steam tangentially. The steam supply pipe 23 is also provided with a branch pipe 28, connected thereto by a detachable coupling 29, and adapted to inject steam into the in her chamber 21 through the cover 19 of the \ulcanizen the coupling 29 being provided. in order that the pipe may readily be detached from the pipe '3 when said cover is removed. Suitabie stop-valves 30, 31, 82 are provided for controlling; the flow of steam through the steam-inlet-pipes 25 and 28 respectively. At the bottom of the vulcanizer the usual exhaust pipe 33, with suitable air and water-venting traps 34:, 35, provided, said exhaust pipe h ading; directly from the outer chamber In the practice of my method with this apparatus the molds 10, containing the tires 1.1 uponthe rims 12, are stacked upon the platen 18, as shown, the cover 19 is secured in place, and the platen 18 is raised as in the usual practice, to the molds. The pipe 21% is then joined to the pipe 23 by the coupling; 29. and. by manipulation of the valves 30. 31, 32 steam is admitted to the inner chamber 21, the outer chamber or botlh 1 ,assrse at such rates as to produce a temperature gradicnh oi greater or less sharpness as may be desired from the base region of the tire to its tread portion, the com mication beti'veen the two chambers anorded by the radial grooves 18, in the platens 18 and being so restricted as to permit the heating o1 "he chamber somewhat more zngidl than the other, while the pressure is buildin up although suljisequentr equalizing eam pressure in the two cl nia be 'tfol first ever when. ll is not earn at conpuJesSE "tion in that admirtin some Le, t

iron h the inlet l -ets of or n 'adually downitermingling oi": the

- us or ward. wit 1 a, steam and a1 p steam also 1; the such dire limit inlet nor is #t of my invenl lith this apparatus, the rates oi the to :1 of heat into the body of the tire troitl its inner and outer peripheries, res ectivel may thus be controllech and by initiaing 0 tee vulcanization of the tire iii tle hard rubber layer and continuin the vul anization of this portion while the soft-rubber cushion is being vulcanized, l obtain a more uniform cure of the ubber cushion or tire 4 he ha l ll 1 loser union between t? if; body. a setter cure or layer of ha 'd rubbeip and the has been obtained by prior methmil ct vulcanizing a tire which comprises initiating the vulcanization by increas' the temperature oi? the base por tion of ie tire more rapidly than that of its tread portion.

The method of vulcanizing tires which comprises assembling the tires in a stack to term a chamber and filling said chamber with a heating fluid at a dili'erent temperature from that of the medium immediately surrounding said chamber.

3. The method of vulcanizing tires which comprises assembling the tires in a stackto form a chamber. filling said chamber with a heating fluid first to heat the base portions in tl of said tires, and permitting a restricted flow of said fluid from said chamber to the space surrounding said stack to heat the tread portions of said tires.

4. The method of *ulcanizing tires which comprises placing the tires in molds, assembling said molds in a stack to form a chamber and vfilling said chamber w th a heating tluid at di l ereut temperature from that of the m dium immediately surroimding said chamber.

5. The method of vulcanizing which romprises enclosing the tires in. molds, assembling said molds in a staclii to form a f nber, filling said chamber with a heating; f'lungl first to heat the base pod ns o'l seid tires and permitting a TGSJHCiKll How of said fluid from said ehan'iber to the space su ounding said stat-lit to heat the tread po ons of said tires.

6. The method. of vulcaniraing tires which comprises enclosing the tires in molds, assembling said molds in a stack to form a chamber, filling said chamber with a heat- 9; fluid first to heat the base portions of said tires, and permitting r stricted flow oi said :tluid from saic. chamber to vhe space surrounding said stacl: until the pr ssure of said fluid in sai" iambe and said space is equalized, to her; the tread portions of tires.

4 The method of ruleauisino; solid tires composed of a softrubber cushion secured to a metal base by an inner layer or hard rubber compound which comprises initiating the vulcanization of the tire in said inner layen and continuing the vulcanization thereof while vulcanizing the cushion.

8. The method of vulcanizing solid tire composed of a soft-rubber cushion secured to a metal base by an inner layer of hardrubber compound which comprises compact ing the layer of: hard-rubber against the base by molding pressure, partially vulcanizing the said layer onto the base, and then heating the cushion to a vulcanising temperature, v

9. The method of vulcanizing a tire conr posed of a soih'z-rubber cushion secured to a metal base by an inner layer'ot hard-rubber compound which comprises heating the hard-rubber layer to a vuleanizing temperature for a longer peiod than the cushion of soft-rubber composition.

10. Apparatus for vulcanizing a tire com prising an annular mold, and means for separately heating the base portiois and tread portions of the mold walls to in; crease the temperatures thereof at different rates.

11. Apparatus for vulca-nizing tiresconiprising a press adapted to support a plurality of annular tire molds in a hollow series forming a chamber, a set 01 tire molds so assembled, and means for sup 'ilying a heating fluid directly to the inside and outside of the chamber in proportional quantities to heat the base portions of the tires more rapidly than the tread portions thereof.

12. Apparatus for vulcanizing tires comprising a heater press, end platens therein adapted to abut the ends of a series of annular tire molds assembled substantially in axially aligned relation within said press, a set of tire molds so assembled and thus forming a chamber fluid inlets opening respectively into said chamber and into the space Within said heater press surrounding said series of molds, and means for separately controlling the flow of fluid through said inlets.

13. Apparatus for vulcanizing tires com prising a heater press, a ram therein, a cover for said press, a stack of tire molds between said ram and said cover, and means for introducing a heating fluid to the space surrounded by said stack through said cover.

14;. Apparatus for vulcanizing tires comprising a heater press, an end platen therein having a fluid-conducting channel from the central region of its mold contacting face to its outer periphery, a series of annular tire molds assembled substantially in axially aligned relation against said platen,

and means for injecting steam directly into the space surrounded by said series of molds. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of August, 1921.

WILLIAM C. GEEB. 

